


Fly Away Home

by AKAwestruck



Category: How to Train Your Dragon (Movies)
Genre: Gen, Post-How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-03
Updated: 2019-03-03
Packaged: 2019-11-08 19:41:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 989
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17987393
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AKAwestruck/pseuds/AKAwestruck
Summary: Hiccup returns to the Hidden World for one last flight.





	Fly Away Home

Hiccup breathed shallowly as he rowed. Every joint ached, every muscle weak and sore. Hiccup was old. So very old. He had outlived his entire generation - as small as that generation had been. Even Astrid, his fierce, beautiful wife, had passed away almost twelve years ago, now. The Dragon Riders of Berk had remained young and strong far longer than they'd had any right to, but now Hiccup was the last. Even his children had passed on, their single meeting with Toothless no more than a distant fantasy of their youth. His grandchildren had never come even set foot on New Berk, let alone seen a dragon. The last of the sky-roaming dragons had fled or been hunted to extinction decades ago.

Hiccup dreamt, sometimes, of a world in which he and Toothless had not parted ways. Sometimes they were good dreams, of travelling with together across all the world. And other times they were nightmares, of trying desperately, futilely, to save Toothless from the dragon hunters, as Hiccup had done far, far too many times.

His dreams mattered little now. Hiccup's boat knocked gently against the rocks marking the edge of the waterfalls that dropped into the Hidden World. After more attempts than he would have liked to admit, Hiccup managed a strong whistle. Toothless would not be expecting him at this time of year, with the winds cold and harsh, but hopefully a sentry would report his presence before flaming him.

Hiccup set down his oars and rested, resigned to his fate either way. He was here, at the doorstep of the world of dragons. It was a fitting place to die. Too human to live among dragons and too dragon to die among humans.

"Mhrr?"

Hiccup raised his head, smiling. "Hey there, bud."

Toothless stood on the rocks, as young and powerful and magnificent as ever. His ear flaps perked up and Toothless croaked happily, letting his tongue loll as he danced closer. The dragon scowled when he realized the boat wouldn't take his weight, but still amicably when Hiccup made to use his outstretch limb to lever himself up and onto the rocks.

As soon as his human was standing safely away from the water, Toothless thrummed and circled him, rubbing his scales against Hiccup like a great big cat.

"Bud, bud, you'll knock me over!" Hiccup called, laughing. He coughed and stumbled a bit as Toothless pressed a little too hard into his ribs. "I can't roll around like I used to, bud. I'm a fragile human right now."

Toothless sat in front of him, head tilted inquiringly. Then he gave Hiccup a slobbery lick, covering the man's entire face. "Murrrp!" Toothless informed him, satisfied with his work.

Hiccup laughed again, wiping at his mouth. He felt twenty again for a moment, before the aches and pains set in again and he listed forward into Toothless. Hiccup closed his eyes, soaking in the warmth radiating from the smooth scales of his best friend. "I'm so tired, bud."

Toothless released a hot breath over Hiccup's hair. Gently, he backed away from his human and crouched down, inviting Hiccup to mount him.

Hiccup took one eager step forward before faltering. "I don't know if I have it in me," he admitted, biting his lip as he blinked away tears.

Toothless flicked out his wing and nudged Hiccup closer, looking up at the man with those irresistible green eyes.

"Oh, alright," Hiccup conceded. He heaved himself up onto Toothless' back inelegantly. Even after all these years, he settled into place as if he'd been born to ride on dragonback. Hiccup couldn't keep tears from spilling over as he leaned down and whispered to his dragon, "Let's fly, bud."

Toothless threw himself off the rocks, curling his wings in to plummet into the mists below. Hiccup's breath was stolen, but he couldn't bring himself to care. He was finally home.

Toothless snapped his wings open just in time to skim across the surface of the water, gliding beneath the low cavern ceilings. For the few breaths that they flew in darkness, Hiccup let his head rest against Toothless' scales, taking in the scent of his dragon.

Then they were into the crystal caverns, lights dancing over Hiccup's skin and barely reflecting off Toothless' inky black. A few dragons swooped down from above, chirping a greeting to their alpha. One inquisitive little thing - not quite a Terrible Terror, Fishlegs would have gone into conniptions - darted at Hiccup. Toothless growled at the other dragon and banked away, weaving them between pillars.

"Such a showoff," Hiccup commented, hopelessly fond.

Toothless chuffed out a laugh and began to tip over.

"Woah, woah!" Hiccup stopped him immediately, clamping down with his legs. "I'm sorry, bud. I'm not up for that one this time." There wasn't a chance in Hel he had the leg strength for rolls these days. Not after rowing for hours to get the Hidden World, anyway.

Toothless grumbled but conceded the point, taking them on a nice leisurely wander through the caverns. He took them far beyond the giant crystal Hiccup had seen when he'd been a boy, through caverns of terraced pools, ice flows, seeping lava, and even dozens of caves filled with plants large and small, light somehow filtering through from the ocean above.

If he'd had more energy Hiccup would have convinced Toothless to take him up for a look, but Hiccup was so very tired. They passed through to a cave glittering with veins of iron and gold ore, and Hiccup stretched forward on Toothless' back, letting his eye droop. Hundreds of dragons swirled through the air of this cave, mostly younglings playfully zipping around, chasing each other and exploring, completely carefree.

"It's beautiful," Hiccup murmured. Toothless thrummed his agreement, keeping their flight steady despite the flurry of dragons around them. Hiccup's eyes fell shut, listening to the sound of Toothless' wings beat.

They didn't open.

**Author's Note:**

> I just saw Hidden World movie and both the movie and writing this made me cry. <3
> 
> This is actually a prologue to a much longer work, but can certainly be read alone.


End file.
